What Is Taco Bell's Signature Bell Sauce, Really?

For as much as fast food establishments may be known for their famous culinary creations, many of them are just as well known for their sauces. McDonald's has its famous Big Mac sauce. Chick-fil-A has Chick-fil-A sauce, a local Virginia creation that grew into a nationwide offering. Even Arby's is known for its Arby's and Horsey Sauce.

Taco Bell is also known for its iconic sauce. Its signature Bell Sauce has been around for more than 60 years and pairs well with everything on the Taco Bell menu. The sauce is as old as the brand itself. Introduced in 1962, it has grown from two offerings to five, allowing spice enthusiasts of all kinds to find the perfect match for their Taco Bell favorites.

What's the secret behind Taco Bell's Bell Sauce? The restaurant itself says the sauce boils down to three key elements: Tomatoes, garlic, and mild red chilies. A closer look at the label reveals plenty more ingredients for flavor and preservation such as vinegar, sugar, and egg yolks. But the key three ingredients combine to give tacos, burritos, and other goodies a tomato-y, tangy, and slightly spicy sauce to pour over top.

For years, Taco Bell has been a staple of fourth meals and quick snacks and its sauces have been along for the ride. In Taco Bell's early days, the eatery offered just two sauce varieties — red chili and green chili — and they were served in plastic cups. It wasn't until the 1980s that Taco Bell introduced sauce packets. Today, Taco Bell customers can choose from Mild, Hot, Fire, and Diablo sauce offerings along with Breakfast Salsa — the witty sayings on the packets were introduced in 2004.

If you're wondering what's in Taco Bell's other sauces, the answer is more heat. The Hot, Fire, and Diablo sauces all contain the same tomato/vinegar/garlic base, but they gain their heat from the peppers used to make the sauce. The Fire sauce contains jalapeno peppers and the Diablo sauce — Taco Bell's most recent offering — contains several peppers including chili and chipotle peppers and aji panca peppers.

Taco Bell's spicy flavor spectrum lends itself to many delicious flavor combinations — trust us when we recommend combining Taco Bell hot sauce with its nacho cheese sauce for a cheesy, spicy upgrade. Bell Sauce can also be used to upgrade store-bought ranch dressing, creating a spicy yet creamy mixture that works well on homemade tacos and other Mexican cuisine.